I have isolated a pure compound from a medicinal plant and now want to check its activity in mice models. In this case, what samples should I to take into account from the following?:
1. crude extract of medicinal plant
2. partially purified extract(s) of medicinal plant
3. Pure (HPLC purity more than 98%) compund
I have seen some research articles which use both, crude extract and pure compounds for such animal studies. Is it needed to test for crude or partially purified extracts? If yes, what is rationale for it? Are there any references available which justify the testing of crude or partially purified extracts?
People who are experts in this field might be able to give a better answer, but to me it would depend on the final aim.
If your experiments are all successful and you were to get to human dosing, what would be used? If the final formulation will be of the pure compound, test that. If you test an extract, you will not know which of the various substances present in it is the active ingredient. On the other hand, if an extract is already used in traditional medicine and you want to check if it has a specific activity, you test the extract.
Before going in to animals, think if there are any in vitro methods that you could use to test your compound.
I agree with Nisha. It depends on your research questions/objectives. What are your hypotheses that should be tested, particularly in your research?
If you test all of them, you may get relevant information about antagonstic, additive, or synergistic effect of the different plant secondary metabolites compared with the activity of the purified compound. As suggested by Nisha, you can check using in vitro methods prior to in vivo study in animal models.
The main aim of bioevaluation of plant extracts is to find new lead which will eventually go to clinical trial to be in the market as drug. As in your case, if you see that your plant in organic solvents underwent in vitro and in vivo evaluation and findings were reported, you dont need to go for reconfirmation of that bioactivity. Better you search literature, what bioactivity of your plant have been reported and secondly what class your isolated compound falls under. Then go for evaluation of bioactivities of the isolated compound. Who knows you may end up with unprecedented facts.
As a curious chemist I had first asked myself the same question during 1977, and since then I have been trying my best to get a resonable answer. I do not yet have a simple answer, but do have some provisional ones. If interested, please read carefully our recent report (See the added file). Wish you good luck.
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